Device for equalizing strains on hoisting ropes



Juy 3, 1934. W P FROST 1,964,982

DEVICE FOR EQUALIZING STRAINS ON HOISTING ROPES Filed Aug. 25. 193s 2 sheets-sheet 1 T- m- TZ6 J6 I 17 6 Judy 3, 21934.. w. P. FROST DEVICE FOR EQUALIZING STRAINS ON HOISTING ROPES Filed Aug. 25, 195s 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 O o 0 O 0 0 Q o Patented July 3, 1934 UNITED STATES PATEN'll OFFICE DEVICE FOR EQUALIZING STRAINS N HOISTING ROPES Application August 25,

7 Claims.

l My invention relates to an equalizing device designed for use in connecting a group of hoisting cables to an elevator car, and more particu-Y larly relates to the framework of a device of the type shown in a pending application for patent of Joseph E. Evans, filed December 3, 1931, Serial No. 578,625. The object of my present invention is to provide a simple, strong framework, or hitch frame for securely supporting the movable parts l0 of the device which by reason of novel and original features of construction as hereinafter described can be economically constructed and by simple changes in the proportions of certain parts can be adapted readily for installation in elevator cars having different forms of construction of cross-heads, and in which provision is made for easy inspection of the equalizing cable. The essential elements of my invention are more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown my invention embodied in two slightly different forms, one form, shown in Figures l to 4, illus-A trating a hitch frame suitable for connecting the elevator car directly to the housing cables by r which it is raised and lowered, and the other form, illustrated in Figures 5 to l8 showing a modied construction used principally with extremely heavy cars in which the hoisting ropes are conducted around pulleys on top of the car, from which pulleys the cables pass upward to' a point of attachment at the top of the elevator shaft, this arrangement being commonly termed two to one roping.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a front elevation of the first mentioned form of my invention, showing also certain of the equalizing parts sup-v ported by the hitch frame;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the frame only;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the same, the equalizing pulleys being also shown mountedv in their bearings;

Fig. 4 is a front or side view of a portion of a slightly modified form of construction;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the two to one roping arrangement above referred to;

Figs. 6 and l are front and end views, respece tively, of a modified form of my invention particularly adapted for use with the last mentioned arrangement of roping; and

Fig. 8 is an end View of the frame of such modication of my invention.

Like reference characters indicate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

Describing first the embodiment of my construction designed for direct attachment of the 1933, Serial No. 686,681

(CI. IS7-1) car to the hoisting ropes, it will be understood that the hoisting ropes 1 are connected by shackle rods 2 to pull bars or hangers 3 in` which are pvotallymounted the set of upper, floating' u pulleys 4. The equalizing cable 5 is anchored at 60 one end, marked 5a to the framework or hitch frame which is the subject matter of the present invention, and thereby is anchored to the car, and passed in succession around the floating pulleys 4 and lower equalizing pulleys, and at its other end, marked 5b', is anchored to the framework after passing around a pulley 7, which, however, does not participate in the equalizing action of the pulleys 4 and 5, and is'provided merely for the purpose of affording a straight lead to the 76 equalizing cable'. If preferred a bracket secured tc the framework might be used for the same purpose.

It will be understood that while the construction of elevator cars Varies in detail, in practically all cases it includes a cross-head at the top of the car providing for attachment to the hoisting cables, and the size and spacing of the cross-head members is diiferent in case of different makes. In the construction illustrated, which is typical, the cross-head includes a pair of channel iron members, marked 8 and 9' which extend transversely across the top of the car, and these members, as already stated, vary more or less in elevation, size and spacing.

My novel hitch frame includes a central plate' or block 10, having opposite horizontal flanges 11 at top and bottom, which may be conveniently formedof a section of commercial I-beam of suitable dimensions. The flanges are of such width as to pass between the cross-head members of the car, and the top flanges 11 are oric'ed to receive the shackle rods 2. In case' of breakage of the equalizing cable the parts connected to the shacklev rods will bring up against the top flanges, which afford a safety stop provided for the greatest possible safety. As illustrated, though not necessarily, the upper portion of the block 10 is cut back or shouldered on' each side, and the lower portion of the block adjacent the bottomV flanges, is also cut back as shown.

At eaclr end of the center webv of the block two angle-iron connecting members l2 one on each side, are securely riveted to it, and to thev outwardly facing flanges of depending portions of each pair of such connecting membersis bolted a flanged angle plate 13 of such length as to extendl beneath the cross-head members of the car and' thus together support it. It will be noted that the angle plates 13 are removably secured 110 to the connecting members 12 by threaded bolts, and by providing plates of varying dimensions the elevation of the equalizing device between the cross heads may be varied and the positioning of the device longitudinally of the cross-head members to properly balance the car may readily be attained.

To secure the angle plates 13 to the cross-head members I provide oriiiced rail clips 14 which are engaged by bolts 15 passing through registering orifices formed in the contiguous flanges of such angle plates and cross-head members.

The lower pulleys are in the present instance supported by U-shaped bearing brackets 16 which are separately welded in proper position on the bottom flange of the block 10. However, as an alternative construction I contemplate providing a casting 17, as illustrated in Fig. 4, secured to said bottom flange of the block, and formed with integral bearing lugs 18.

The hitch frame illustrated in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, used for connecting the ends of hoisting ropes to a xed point of support at the top of the elevator shaft when the two to one roping is employed, is substantially a reversal, or inversion of the equalizer above described, with some modifications. In the modified device the downward stress of the upward reaches 1a of the hoisting ropes connected to the shackle rods 19 and through them to the equalizing pulleys 20 is transmitted as a compressive strain on the hitch frame to supporting members 21-21 which are stationarily supported by any suitable parts (not shown) fixed at the top of the elevator shaft. The supporting members 21-21, it will be noted, extend in this case, in a direction transverse to the plane of the central web of the block 23, which is not cut away either at top or bottom and the bottom flanges 24 of the block rest directly upon the supporting members 21. The pairs of vertical angle-iron connecting members at each end of the block, marked 25, extend the full width of the web 23, and to the bottom ends of each pair is secured an angle plate 26, the horizontal lower flange of which lies ilush with the lower face of the flange on the lower side of the block 23, and abuts against it, and rests also on top of a portion of the adjacent supporting member 21. In this form of my invention, also, the entire equalizing mechanism is open for inspection, and the same simplicity of construction is attained.

,. I claim:

l. In an equalizing device of the type described andincluding stationarily mounted pulleys and floating equalizing pulleys connected to hoisting ropes and an equalizing cable anchored at its ends and engaging alternately said iloating pulleys and said stationary pulleys; framework for supporting the pulleys and equalizing connections including a central block of I-beam formation having its ilanges along one horizontal edge oriced, the connection between said floating pulleys and hoisting ropes passing through said orifices, vertical pairs of connecting pieces secured to the sides of the web of said central block, andtransverse plates secured to said pairs of connecting pieces.

2. In an equalizing device of the type described and including stationarily mounted pulleys and floating equalizing pulleys connected to hoisting ropes and an equalizing cable anchored at its ends and engaging alternately said floating pulleys and said stationary pulleys; framework for supporting the pulleys and equalizing connections including a central block of I-beam formation having its flanges along one horizontal edge oriced, the connection between said floating pulleys and hoisting ropes passing through said orifices, vertical pairs of angle-iron connecting pieces at opposite sides of Said central block, each pair having inwardly extending flanges contiguous and secured to the web of said block and its other flanges extending outwardly from the web in a common plane, and a pair of opposite transversely disposed angle plates, each plate having a vertical member lying secured to the outwardly extending flanges of the connecting piece contiguous to it and a horizontally disposed attaching member.

3. In an equalizing device of the type described and including stationarily mounted pulleys and floating equalizing pulleys connected to hoisting ropes and an equalizing cable anchored at its ends and engaging alternately said iloating pulleys and said stationary pulleys; framework for supporting the pulleys and equalizing connections including a central block of I-beam formation having its flanges disposed horizontally at top and bottom, vertical pairs of angle-iron connecting pieces at opposite sides of said central block, each pair having inwardly extending ilanges contiguous and secured to the web of said block and its .other flanges extending outwardly from the web in a common plane, and a pair of opposite transversely disposed angle plates, each plate having a vertical member lying secured to the outwardly extending flanges of the connecting piece contiguous to it and a horizontally disposed attaching member.

4. In an equalizing device of the type described and including stationarily mounted pulleys and oating pulleys mounted in pull bars connected by shackle rods to hoisting ropes and also having an equalizing cable anchored at its ends and engaging alternately said floating pulleys and said stationary pulleys; framework for supporting the pulleys and equalizing connections including a central block of I-beam formation having its ilanges along one horizontal edge orillced and engaging said shackle rods, vertical pairs of connecting pieces secured to the sides of the web of said central block, and transverse plates secured to said pairs of connecting pieces.

5. In an equalizing device of the type described and including stationarily mounted pulleys and iloating equalizing pulleys connected to hoisting ropes and an equalizing cable anchored at its ends and engaging alternately said floating pulleys and said stationary pulleys; framework for supporting the pulleys and equalizing connections including a central block having a vertical central web and opposite bottom flanges, said bottom flanges being equipped with bearing brackets on opposite sides of the plane oi` its web arranged to pivotally support said stationarily mounted pulleys.

6. In an equalizing device of the type described and including stationarily mounted pulleys and floating equalizing pulleys connected to hoisting ropes and an equalizing cable anchored at its ends and engaging alternately said iloating pulleys and said stationary pulleys; framework for supporting the pulleys and equalizing connections including a central block having a vertical central web and opposite bottom flanges, said ilanges being cut away at the sides of the block, vertical pairs of angle-iron connecting pieces extending downwardly below said central block at its opposite sides, each pair having inhorizontal portions adapted to underlie and support spaced cross-head members.

'7. Framework according to Claim 6 in which the angle plates therein mentioned are detachably secured to connecting pieces, whereby said framework may be adapted by substitution of angle plates of different length to support crosshead members of diierent spacing.

WILLIAM P. FROST. 

